Electrode.



W. K. PAGE.

ELECTRODE,

APPLICATION FILED 0418,1919.

Patente 00$. 29, 1918;

t ion,

'WILLIAM KINGMAN PAGE OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGN'OR TO CHILE EXPLORATION COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A (30155]?ORA'JJIOLT OF NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRODE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

Application filed January 28, 1918. Serial No. 214,121.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM KINGMAN PAGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Electrodes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The electrolytic deposition of metals, such as copper, from acid solutions, such as sulfate solutions, requires, for its successful practice, that the anodes utilized shall be resistant to the acid liquor of the electrolyte and to the corroding effect of the electrolytic operation; and, also, that the anode itself shall not, because of such solution or corrosion contaminate the electrolyte to the prejudice of the electrolytic deposition.

When the electro-deposition takes place from electrolytes containing oxidizing agents, such as nitric acid or chlorin or ferric sulfate, the anodes are required to have a correspondingly increased resistance to corrosion thereby. Anodes of lead or antimonial lead, such as are commonly used in electro-deposition from acid electrolytes, and which are resistant to corrosion in the absence of such oxidizing agents, are rapidly corroded when such oxidizing agents are present, with a resulting short life'of the anodes and contamination of the electrolyte. The present invention is based on the discovery that anodes of silicon iron, of proper silicon content, when subjected to a proper heat treatment, such as chilling thereof by casting in metal molds, are given a Very fine grain or structure which extends for a considerable distance from the surface and which may extend throughout the entire anodes; and thatthe anodes thus produced are, because of the dense crystalline structure thus given to them, not only resistant to corrosion, when used asanodes, even when appreciable amounts of oxidizing agents are present in the electrolyte, but are very materially improved in then, reslstance to such corrosion, so that they have a Very materially increased life.

The improved anodes of the present invention, which may be referred to as.

chilled anodes, can be produced, for example, by I castlng 1n cast lron molds.

Among the advantages of casting the anode in metal molds as compared with the casting, for example, in sand molds, may be mentioned the following :-The cost of production is very materially decreased in that the metal molds can be used over and over again; the number of satisfactory anodes is much greater; the number of failures is reduced; and a greater number-of anodes can be produced per ton of metal, since loss of the material in the form of gates, sprues or risers is avoided. These advantages of decreased cost of production, and increased uniformity and reliability in the production of the anodes, are in addition to the advantages possessed by the anode itself, such as those above referred to.

In casting the anodes of the present invention, the metal may advantageously be allowed to cool to the lowest point at which it will be sufiiciently fluid for the casting operation before itis cored into the mold so that it will be more rapidly chilled and so that the danger of melting the copper lugs or leads, which are cast therein, may be minimized.

After the casting of the anodes, it is important to provide for the tempering and slow cooling of the anodes in order to avoid breakage or cracking due to rapid cooling and in order that the strains set up in the anode by the rapid chilling effect of the iron mold may adjust themselves.

The production of the anodes of the present invention, and the anodes so produced, will be further described in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrative thereof, wherein Figure 1 shows in perspective, a silicon iron anode of the present invention, Fig. 2 shows in perspective a mold suitable for thecasting operation; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the mold taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

An anode illustrative of the invention is shown in Fig. 1, from which it will be seen that the anode 1 is made relatively long, for example, four feet, and of a cross section of, for example, 1x44,- inches. The anode is provided with contacts 2, two of which are shown, which have one end 3 embedded in The mold shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is made up of two parts 6 and 7 supported by trim-- nions 8 and held together by keys 9.

In the production of the chilled anodes of the present invention in the mold illustrated in Figs. 9. and 3, the mold is supended in a vertical position by means of the trunnions. Prior to the casting operation, the mold is brought to a black heat, about 300 C. The two copper lugs are spaced in position in the mouth of the mold and held thereby by suitable clips (not shown). The metal is then taken from the furnace and allowed to cool to substantially the lowest point at which it will be sufficiently fluid to pour into the mold. It is then poured into the mold and rises up and surrounds the copper lugs, about which it permanently sets, the adjacent portions 01" the iron mold chilling the metal around the copper leads or lugs and causing it to set almost instantly. A similar chilling and setting takes place throughout the anode, thus giving to the anode the fine crystalline structure above referred to.

The mold is then rotated about its trunnions to a horizontal position, the wedges or keys are knocked out and one-half of the mold removed. The anode is stripped from the mold and conveyed immediately to a bed of pulverulent insulating material such as powdered kieselguhr, in which it is allowed to remain until cold.

This cooling in a material such as kieselguhr is important, since it aflords a sufficiently slow cooling to permit tempering and adjusting of the strains set up in the anode by the rapid chilling effect of the iron mold. This slow cooling likewise decreases the dan ger of breaking, which is increased if the anode is allowed to cool in the open air. It is accordingly important that the anode be stripped from the mold promptly and that it be embedded in the kieselguhr bed before the color of the casting falls below a cherry red, in order to decrease the danger of breaking when the anode becomes cold. The casting should not, generally, be permitted to cool to a black heat while in the mold, otherwise the danger of breaking is increased.

After the anode has been thus permitted to cool slowly and has become cold, it is available for use for electrolytic purposes, as above described. Because of the superior symmetry of the chilled anode, it is relatively easy to maintain it in alinement with other anodes during the electrolyticoperation.

The slhcon iron used in the production of the anode of the present invention may vary somewhat, but the percentage of silicon will usually be between 12 and 20%. Below 12% the anode becomes less resistant to the elec trolytic disintegration. As the percentage of silicon increases beyond about 15%, the anode tends to become brittle, but I have nevertheless found that certain advantages are to be obtained with the higher percentages of silicon, for example, 17 to 20%, although from 15 to 19% will be generally the most feasible proportions. With increased silicon content, the life of the anode is increased and it becomes more indestructible and resistant to corrosion, when used as an anode, although the voltage or power required is slightly increased. The silicon iron may contain otheringredients alloyed therewith provided these do not prejudice the desired qualities and characteristics of the anode.

I claim:- f j 1. The method of producing an electrode which comprises forming the electrode of molten silicon iron and subjecting the molten mass to a chilling operation to give to the elect-rode a line dense resistant structure ex tending for a considerable distance from the surface; substantially as described.

2. The method of producing an electrode of silicon iron, which comprises casting the electrode and subjecting the same during casting to a chilling operation to give to the electrode a line dense resistant structure eX- tending for a considerable distance from the surface; substantially as described.

3. The method of producing an electrode of silicon iron, which comprises casting the electrode of silicon iron of approximately the lowest temperature at which it will be sui'liciently fluid to cast, and subjectingthe silicon iron during casting to a chilling operation to give to the electrode a fine dense resistant structureextending for a considerable distance fromthe surface; substantially as described. 7

4. The method of producing an electrode which comprises casting silicon iron in a metal mold and thereby chilling the electrode, removing the electrode from the mold while still at a high temperature, and slowly cooling the electrode; substantially as described. j

5. The method of producing electrodes of silicon iron which comprises casting molten silicon iron of approximately the lowest temperature at which it will be sufficiently fluid to cast in a chill mold, removing the electrode from the'mold while still at ahigh temperature, and cooling the electrode slowly in a bed of insulating material; substantially as described. 7

6. The method of producing electrodes of silicon iron in metal molds, which comprises heating the mold to about 300 C., cooling the molten metal to approximately the lowest temperature at which it will be stifliciently fluid to cast, pouring it into the heated mold, embedding copper lugs therein during the casting operation, removing the cast electrode from the mold before it falls materially below a cherry red, and embedding the electrode in a bed of'kieselguhrto effect teining conductive leads or lugs cast integral poring and slow cooling of the same; subtherewith; substantially as described. stantially as described. 9. A chilled silicon iron electrode having 7. A chilled silicon iron electrode having copper leads or lugs cast integral therewith, 5 a fine dense resistant structure extending for said electrode being cast in metal molds and a considerable distance from. the surface; having a fine, dense resistant structure on substantially as described. tending for a considerable distance from the 8. A chilled silicon iron electrode having surface; substantially as described. a fine, dense structure extending for a con- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. 10 siderable distance from the surface, and hav- WILLIAM KINGMAN PAGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O." 

